Fastening means for metal culverts.



J. W. DEAN.

FASTENING MEANS FOR METAL CULVERT APPLICATION FILED JAN. 10, 1913. RENEWED MAR. 21, 191B.

Patented Oct. 24

2 SHEETS--SHEET 1- mmwm J. W. DEAN.

FASTENlNG MEANS FOR METAL CULVERTS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.10. 1913. RENEWED MAR. 21, 1915.

Patented Oct/24, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2 1 wmm.

JAMES W. DEAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y. Y,

FASTENING MEANS FOR METAL CULVERTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented octet, ieie.

Application filed January 10, 1913, Serial No. 741,243. Renewed March 21, 1916. Serial N0. 8,744=.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs WV. DEAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastening Means for Metal Culverts, of which the following is a specification, reference be ing had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention has reference to fastening means in the form of keys or clips for use in connecting together and maintaining in such relation the complementary sections of buttjoint nestable metal culverts of the type particularly set forth and covered in Patent No. 1,049,816, granted to John H. Dean, on January 7, 1913, and relates particularly to a special form of fastening means adapted to be used at the joint between longitudinally adjacent culvert sections with a view to preventing endwise movement of said sections with respect to each other.

The type of butt-joint nestable culvert herein referred to is one in which said culvert is made up of metal sections, preferably corrugated half sections, which sections have rigid metal strips or bars welded or riveted to the sides of said sections at or near their longitudinal edges, the strips or bars being so arranged with respect to said metal sections that spaces or passageways are formed at intervals between the sections and said strips for receiving the keys. In assembling this type of culvert, the complementary sections are placed together w th their longitudinal edges meeting or abuttmg and the keys or clips are provided for engaging within the passageways formed between the sections and the strips with a view to providing a means for forcing the longitudinal edges of complementary sections into true abutting relation, and furthermore for retaining said edges in such position.

In the present invention the end keys of longitudinally adjacent sections, or in other words, the keys used near the joint between such sections, are connected together by means of a metal strip or chain, in which event these keys not only serve to hold and retain the complementary sections in assembled relation, but also serve, due to their being connected together, as a means for preventing endwise movement of longitudinally adjacent culvert sections with respect to each other.

I have illustrated my invention in theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1, is a side elevation of a buttjoint culvert illustrating longitudinally adj acent sections overlapping, and also my improved fastening means for retaining said sections in such overlapped position, Fig. 1s a top plan view of the same, Fig. 3, is a perspective view of one of the fastening means, Fig. i, is a perspective view of one of the keys used in connection with a modified form of the invention, and Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a butt-joint culvert illustrating longitudinally adjacent sections overlapping, and a modified form of fastening means for preventing endwise movement of said sections with respect to each other.

Referring to the drawings, it is to be noted that each section indicated at 1, of the butt-joint culvert, is shown provided with corrugations which are arranged parallel with opposite ends thereof, and that when these sections, which are preferably half sections, are arranged in assembled position to form the completed culvert, the corrugations of upper and lower sections coincide with each other, or in other words, each convex and concave corrugation of an upper section is directly in line with the convex and concave corrugations respectively of the section below it. It is to be noted that these sections are constructed without the usual outstanding flanges, but that the longitudinal edges of complementary sections are adapted to abut, as indicated at 2 in the drawings, so that when said sections are connected together with their longitudinal edges meeting or abutting, the corrugated culvert, for all intents and purposes, has the appearance and strength of an integral corrugated cylinder. Furthermore, the complete culvert is made up of longitudinally adjacent sections, so that each complete section or length of culvert, which is itself made up of half sections, as shown in the drawings, is adapted to overlap the end of an adjacent section.

'The culvert half sections are provided at or near their longitudinal edges, with rigid metal strips or bars 3, which are secured to the convex corrugations of each section, preferably by welding or riveting the same thereto, and it will be noted that passageways as indicated at 4, are formed between v ferred to.

. prises a. singlerigid fastening means for the purpose intended.

The form of key herein shown is one that is stamped} from a single piece of metal, preferably the same kind of metal from which the culvert sections are made, and is provided with a bulged or bellied portion 6 intermediate its ends, and also fingers 7 7 which are arranged at the lowermost portion of said key. It is to'be here noted that the bulged portion 6 is of such shape as to neatly fit within the passageways 4 formed between the strips or bars in the sides of the culvert sections, and conform to the concave corrugations of the sections, and the fingers 77 of the keys are adapted, if found necessary,

to be bent up into engagement with the bottom edge of the lower strip of said comple- Inentary sections. A pair of these keys is used in making up my improved fastening means, and one of such keys is welded or riveted to each end of the strip 5 in a manner substantially as shown in the drawings,

whereby said strip forms a connection between the two keys. The strip 5 is preferably secured to the frontface of the keys, in

which position it forms a flange which is adapted to engage the upper strip or bar of complementary sections with a view to holding the fastening means in proper position after being applied to the culvert sections for the purpose intended.

It will thus be seen when the sections are assembled with longitudinal edges of upper and lower sections abutting, and with longitudinally adjacent sections overlapping as referred to above, that the fastening means just described may be applied by inserting one of the keys in a passageway formed between the metal strips or bars 3 and the sides of one of the complete cylindrical sections, and the other key of said fastening means inserted within a passageway formed in like manner upon a longitudinally adjacent section, said fastening means adapted when so applied, to not only serve as a means for connecting adjacent strips of complementary half sections together for holding said half sections in assembled relation, but also having for its purpose to tie together longitudinally adjacent culvert sections and thus prevent any endwise movement of one section wlth respect to an ad acent section.

By using a fastening means of the type herein shown, a small overlap between longitudinally adjacent sections is found to be practical for all intents and purposes, thus reducing the cost of manufacture of these culvert sections, due to a saving of the metal used in constructing these culverts, which is found to be considerable in a long length of culvert.

While the present improvements are shown in connection with corrugated metal culverts and such culverts of the butt-joint type, it is to be understood that the invention is intended to be broad enough to cover any fastening means which is adapted to connect the longitudinal edges of a complete culvert section together, and also serve as a means for tying together the ends of longitudinally adjacent sections, regardless of the form of said culvert sections.

In Figs. 4 and 5 of the drawings, I have illustrated a' modified form of the invention, in which it is to be noted that instead of a rigid metal strip being used as a means for connecting the two keys together, I have provided a chain 8 for this purpose, the structure in other respects being identical with the preferred embodiment of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A fastening means for connecting the longitudinal edges of butt-joint culverts together and for preventing endwise movement of longitudinally adjacent sections with respect to each other, said means comprising a pair of connected keys, said keys adapted for engagement within cooperating key-receiving passageways along the longitudinal abutting edges of said culvert sections.

2. In combination with a sheet metal culvert made up of longitudinally adjacent sections having ends which overlap one another forming a joint between said sections, of a fastening means adapted to be secured to said sections on each side of said joint for the purpose of connecting together the longitudinal edges of said sections, and means secured to and serving only to connect together said fastening means for preventing endwise movement of the sections with respect to each other.

3. In combination with a sheet metal culvert made up of longitudinally adjacent sections and comprising complementary half sections having longitudinally abutting edges and metal strips so secured to each half section along the longitudinal edges thereof that passageways are formed at intervals between the culvert sections and said strips, of keys or clips adapted to enter the said passageways and engage between the culvert sections and the metal strips thereby holding the longitudinal edges of said sections in abutting relation, and means for fastening the keys or clips of longitudinally adjacent sections together for the purpose of preventing endwise movement of said sections with respect to each other.

4. In combination with a sheet metal culvert made up of longitudinally adjacent sections and comprising complementary half sections having longitudinal abutting edges and metal strips so secured to each half section along the longitudinal. edges thereof that passageways are formed at intervals between the culvert sections and said strips of keys or clips adapted to enter the said passageways and engage between the culvert sections and the metal strips thereby holding the longitudinal edges of said sections in abutting relation, and a bar or strip for connecting the keys of longitudinally adja cent sections together for the purpose of preventing endWise movement of said sections with respect to each other.

a bar or strip secured to and serving only to connect together the keys of longitudinally adjacent sections for the purpose of preventing endwise movement of said sections with respect to each other.

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

JAMES W. DEAN. Witnesses JNo. "W. CooHRAN, CHAS. G. STERN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patente. Washington, D. G. 

